The contest between Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton over who can best deal with Donald Trump has escalated after the US president’s global trade war upended the election campaign less than three weeks before voting begins.

With neither leader emerging as a clear beneficiary from the tariff decision, both are promising to make an early visit to Washington after the May 3 election, should they win office, in an attempt to convince Trump to reverse his decision to hit Australian exports to the US with 10 per cent tariffs.